Currently, pull strings for hearing instruments are made from clear fishing line. A knot is formed at one end of the string or the end is melted back using a soldering iron, to create a mechanical support. This end is then glued to the inside of the hearing instrument shell or to the faceplate.
There are at least two disadvantages to this approach—uncertainty in finding a suitable location for the pull string within the shell and, oftentimes, a less-than optimal utilization of the space within the shell. The foregoing disadvantages can be avoided by locating the pull string within the shell of the hearing instrument using collision detection techniques. Once this location has been determined, an anchor is created on the inside surface of the hearing instrument shell. The pull string is fabricated as a molded element with a fixed end that cooperatively engages the anchor, and its free end is routed through an opening in the faceplate of the hearing instrument.